Hot and cold water mixer tap with thermostatic unit and flow diverter unit

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a hot and cold water mixer tap for bath tubs, showers and the like which incorporates a multi-functional group comprising a thermostatic unit ( 14 ) to control mixing and temperature of the water, and of a flow diverter unit ( 15 ) to selectively deliver water to one or at least two outlets. The thermostatic unit ( 14 ) and the flow diverter unit ( 15 ) are pre-assembled in a cartridge configuration and one part of the thermostatic unit forms a means for controlling the flow deviator.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns the bathroom finishing, both forexternal and recessed installations, for bath tubs, showers and thelike, and refer in particular to a hot and cold mixer tap, housing athermostatic unit for regulating the temperature of the water deliveredand means for selectively diverting the water flow towards at least twodifferent outlets.

[0002] 2. State of the Art

[0003] In the field of bathroom finishing hot and cold water mixervalves are known which incorporate a cartridge system and consequentlymixer taps housing these mixer valves are already known. The latterusually have two separate hot or cold water entrances and a single waterexit towards the outlet.

[0004] Also well known are the thermostatic mixer taps, that is to sayequipped with a thermostatic system which enables the water temperaturein output to be set and then automatically regulated, by adjusting theratio of cold water to hot water to be mixed.

[0005] In tap fittings for bath tubs and showers flow diverter systemstowards at least two different outlets are also used. These divertersystems however usually form a unit of their own, associated but notintegrated with the valve fittings and/or thermostatic control of themixing and temperature of the water.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide a thermostatic,mixer tap also incorporating a flow diverter unit for selective feed ofat least two different outlets.

[0007] Another object of the invention is to supply a cold and hot watermixer tap incorporating an integrated thermostatic unit and a flowdiverter system in a group configured like a cartridge and thereforeeasy to manipulate, easy to place in position in the body of a tap andeasy to remove and to maintain.

[0008] A further object of the invention is to achieve a thermostaticmixer tap, complete with a flow diverter system with two aligned andeasy to access control means, one for the thermostatic unit and theother for opening/closing the water and the flow diverter system, andwhere a part of the thermostatic unit is used as a means for operatingthe flow diverter.

[0009] These objects and implicit advantages which derive from them arereached, in compliance with the present invention, with a thermostatictap according to at least claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The invention will be described more in detail following thepresent specification made in reference to the enclosed indicative andnot limiting drawings, in which:

[0011]FIG. 1 is an exploded view and cross-section of the components inthe cartridge group made up of the thermostatic mixer unit and flowdiverter unit;

[0012]FIGS. 2 and 3 are two external views from opposite sides of theassembled cartridge group;

[0013]FIG. 4 is the cartridge group seen from below;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the group in FIGS. 2 and 3 insertedin a bath tub group;

[0015]FIGS. 6 and 7 are a view from the side and overhead of the bathtub group in FIG. 5;

[0016]FIG. 8 is a cartridge group to form part of a tap for a shower;

[0017]FIG. 9 is a cross-section of the group in FIG. 8 inserted into thesaid tap: and FIG. 10 is a recessed tap housing a cartridge groupaccording to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the tap comprises a body 11 having ahousing 12 in which there is assembled and axially blocked by a ring nut13, with an interposed anti-friction ring 13′, a group configured as acartridge made up of a thermostatic unit 14 and a flow diverter unit 15.

[0019] The tap body 11 has an entrance for hot water 16, an entrance forcold water 17, each with a one way valve, a first exit 18 to an outlet,such as the bath tub, and a second exit 19 towards another outlet, suchas a shower.

[0020] The cartridge group includes a cartridge body 20, substantiallycylindrical and hollow, equipped with outer seals 21 at differentlevels, closed at the bottom by a base 22 and supporting at the top acoupling 23, screwed to it with a seal 23′ inserted between them.

[0021] On the side wall of the cartridge body 20, which can be turned inits housing 12, there is a first water inlet 24 and a second water inlet25, at two different heights, in zones between the outer seals 21. Thefirst inlet 24 is in fluid communication with the hot water entrance 16;the second inlet 25 is in fluid communication with the cold waterentrance 17 of the tap body 11. The first and second inlets 24, 25 areenclosed by filters 24′, 25′ and lead into a mixing chamber 26 insidethe cartridge body 20.

[0022] The base 22 has at least one reference pin 22′ for positioningthe cartridge group in the tap body 11 and to prevent the bottom of thesame from turning. The bottom has two holes 22″ each of which receives apin 27, 27′ with an elastomeric material ring 28 positioned betweenthem. Said pins, preferably ceramic, enclose two ports 29, 29′coinciding with the water exits 18, 19, each feeding its respectiveoutput.

[0023] A distributor plate 30 resting hard against a seal 30′ andturning on the pins 27, 27′ is positioned in the cartridge body 20. Thisplate 30, preferably ceramic, has a hole or out of centre opening 31running width wise through it, positioning itself in line with each ofthe output ports 29, 29′ following rotation of the plate itself.

[0024] The rotation of the distributor plate 30 is enabled by its tooth20′ engaging the cartridge body 20, and the cartridge body is turned bya handle or lever 32 fixed to the sleeve 23 and connected to a ring 33to a position index indicating the closed position of the tap. Thehandle or lever 32 can be marked with references or icons to show whichport 29,29′ and therefore which output is being supplied by opening thetap. Rotation of the cartridge body 20, and therefore lining up of thehole or opening 31 to be in line with one or the other output port, islimited by a stop dowel 20 a fixed to the body and moving in a slot 22 acut in the base 22.

[0025] Inside the cartridge body 20, that is in the mixing chamber 26,opposite the two hot and cold water inlets 24 and 25 and moving axiallyto the latter, there is a control piston 34 to control the delivery ofthe two types of water in input. The control piston 34 is connected andmoves, as is known, by means of a heat sensitive bulb placed in thecentre of the mixing chamber 26 so as to change the ratio of hot andcold water to be mixed and to maintain the temperature of the waterdelivered constant. The water entering the mixing chamber 26 flows fromthe latter to the distributor plate 30 to exit towards a user dependingon which hole or opening 31 of the plate is in line with one or theother of the two exit ports 29,29′.

[0026] The heat sensitive bulb 35 is connected by means of springs 36,37. One end being connected to the cartridge body 20 and the other to aturning regulating rod 38 by means of a cap 39 and a slider 40. Thisslider 40 is guided in the sleeve 23 and in 38′ screwed to the rod 38which is itself attached to a control knob 41, by turning which it ispossible to position the heat sensitive bulb 35, and by means of thelatter the control piston 34 of the delivery of the two types of waterentering, so as to set or change the temperature of the water beingdelivered to the outputs. The temperature selected may be set byblocking the position of the control knob by means of a pushbutton 42with connected spring 42′ and pin 42″.

[0027] In this way, once the temperature of the water has been selected,simply turn the handle or lever 32, starting from the closed position,to send the water either to one or the other of the provided outlets.

[0028] Furthermore, by introducing an insert 43 into the slot 22 a, soas to partially fill it, it will be possible to limit the rotation ofthe cartridge body and consequently the distributor plate 30 so as todeliver to one output only, excluding the other.

[0029] The group made up of a thermostatic unit and a pre-assembled flowdiverter unit in the form of a cartridge may be used both in bath tubgroups and as taps for shower cubicles, both as external or recessedfixtures.

[0030] FIGS. 5-7 show an application for a bath tub group to deliverwater to the tub and to the shower.

[0031]FIGS. 8 and 9 are a cartridge group 44 for shower tap and a tap 45housing this group, where the same or similar components as thosedescribed above are indicated with the same reference numbers.

[0032] Finally, in FIG. 10 we have a recessed tap 45 housing a cartridgegroup, which includes a thermostatic unit 14 with relative control knob41 and a diverter 15 with respective control handle or lever 32, andwhere the cartridge group is enclosed in a container 46 to adapt to thesize of the group so as to enable this to be used instead of mixervalves which have standard sizes.

1. A hot and cold water mixer tap for bath tubs, showers and the likecharacterised in that it incorporates a multi-functional groupcomprising a thermostatic unit (14) to control mixing and temperature ofthe water, and of a flow diverter unit (15) to selectively deliver waterto one or at least two outlets, and wherein the thermostatic unit (14)and the flow diverter unit (15) are pre-assembled in a cartridgeconfiguration and a part of the thermostatic unit forms a means forcontrolling the flow diverter unit.
 2. The hot and cold water mixer tapaccording to claim 1 wherein, in the multi-functional group, thethermostatic unit (14) has a coaxial control knob (41) with a handle orlever (32) to control the flow diverter unit, each turning independentlyof each other.
 3. The hot and cold water mixer tap according to claim 1wherein, in the multi-functional group, the thermostatic unit (14)includes a cartridge body (20) associated at the bottom with a base(22), closed and fixed at the top to a sleeve (23) and forming a mixingchamber (26) in which a first hot water inlet (24) and a second coldwater inlet (25) are provided, wherein in said mixing chamber (26) acontrol piston (34) is located to control the quantity of hot and coldwater entering under the control of a heat sensitive bulb (35) connectedindirectly to said knob (41) of the thermostatic unit, and wherein theflow diverter unit (15) includes a turning distributor plate (30)adjacent to the bottom (22) of the cartridge body and having a hole oran out of centre opening (31) in communication with said mixing chamber(26) and which is positionable in line with at least two water outputports (29,29′) connected to a same number of outlets.
 4. The hot andcold water mixer tap according to claim 3, wherein the cartridge body(20) is located in the tap body and able to turn; the bottom (22) isfixed blocked in said tap body; the distributor plate (30) rests andturns on said bottom and depends on rotation from said cartridge body(20), and the rotation of the cartridge body is controlled by thecontrol handle or lever (32) of the flow diverter unit, by means of thesleeve (23) to which it is attached.
 5. The hot and cold water mixer tapaccording to claims 3 and 4, wherein a stop dowel (20 a) fixed to thecartridge body (20) extends and engages a locator slot (22 a) settingthe rotation limit of the distributor plate (30) placing either the holeor out of centre opening (31) of the latter in line with each of theports (29,29″) to deliver water to each of the outlets according to theselection made.
 6. The hot and cold water mixer tap according to any ofthe previous claims, wherein the cartridge group is enclosed in acontainer to set the external dimensions.
 7. A cartridge group tocontrol mixing and delivery of hot and cold water in taps for sanitaryplants characterised by a thermostatic unit (14) to control mixing andtemperature of the water and by a selector flow diverter unit (15) fordelivering water towards one or at least two outlets, the thermostaticunit (14) and the flow diverter unit (15) being pre-assembled in acartridge configuration, and a part of the thermostatic unit forming ameans of control of the flow diverter unit, the thermostatic unit (14)having control knob (41) coaxial with a control handle or lever (32) ofthe flow diverter unit.